Chicago Guide: Pizza

Chicago is undoubtedly a city with serious opinions on pizza. My favorites are below (in no particular order), from deep dish to thin crust to the classic Neapolitan that started it all.

Lou Malnati’s

Photo Via Serious Eats

Starting with what everyone thinks about when they think of Chicago style pizza, the best place for deep dish is Lou Malnati’s. The location in Gold Coast is close to a lot of hotels/shopping, and you can sit outside in the summer and enjoy some great people watching. Don’t forget the Malnati Salad. It’s one of my favorites and highly addicting (which is okay, because, salad).

Probably the pizza we ate the most in Chicago. Order Mark’s Special, which is their take on a Margherita. Cut in squares and piping hot- get a Green Line (beer) to go with it. The location in Gold Coast is my favorite, across from Potash.

Osteria La Madia

Photo via Yelp

Rare for a River North hotspot, it’s easy to get a table here. The pizzas are coal-fired, the Fire Roasted Crispy Artichokes are the best place to start, and the wine list is really good. Order the Van Duzer Pinot Noir from Oregon, and sit at the bar to watch the chef make your pizza from scratch. We alternated between the Margerita Pizza and the 3 Hour Roasted Grape with Taleggio (pictured).

Spacca Napoli

Photo via Yelp

I mentioned the Burrata from here as my #1 favorite dish in Chicago (seriously, go if you haven’t already), but their pizza is really good too. Spacca (yes, we are on a first name basis) uses incredible ingredients, so order the Bufalina Pizza since it’s simple. When you have good ingredients, you don’t need a supreme pizza to hide under. Another bonus is that unlike some of the other pizzas on this list, this one won’t leave you stuffed. #healthfood

A good place to go with friends to watch a game (if that’s your kind of thing) and feast on beer and pizza. You can pick your own sauce/toppings and the pizzas are huge. Put your name in and visit the quirky Wicker Park shops while you wait. I like places that bring you parmesan and chili flakes without having to ask- they’re good at that here. Trust the 3,000+ reviews on Yelp (and me) and go! Not all of the beer is good, so ask for a taste before you commit to a pint.

*If it’s Sunday and it snowed 2 feet overnight and the wind blows you sideways when you step outside; order Jet’s8 Corner Pizza 🙂